GREENSBORO, N.C. — Especially now, kids, of all ages, spend a lot of time online. Parents and guardians can play an important role in keeping them safe. WFMY News 2's Maddie Gardner spoke to psychotherapist Dr. Nannette Funderburk, who works with children and adolescents who have experienced trauma.
Maddie: Are there any signs parents can look out for, perhaps behavioral changes, that indicate they're talking to someone they don't know online?
Dr. Funderburk: You always want to pay attention to if there are behavior changes. You know your child and you know what their typical behavior is so if there are changes that you're recognizing, maybe they are not being as open about what they're looking at, or they're trying to have more alone time, or they kind of seem to sneak off and have more alone time, you want to be aware of that and pay attention to that and just pay attention to what's going on. It doesn't 100% mean that there's something bad going on, it could be teens being teens, but as parents that's part of what you want to do is pay attention to when does that behavior change and when am I going to step in to at least ask a question?
Maddie: How can parents approach the topic with their kids?
Dr. Funderburk: If you are a parent who has actually looked at the child's online accounts to see what they are saying and see what they are doing because you have passwords and things like that, then let them know, 'Hey, I was perusing through and I had a question about XYZ,' and just strike up a conversation. And check your tone, you know, because kids, especially teens, will be really sensitive to the drama that might ensue. So you want to pay attention to what your tone of voice sounds like because your goal is not to get them to shut down but to get them to open up.